Oceanic, mesopelagic with adults and juveniles at 200-800 m by day and 100 (sometimes shallower)-600 m by night, pre-metamorphic larvae at 100-300 m. Adults and juveniles make short diel vertical migrations. Dioecious, adult photophore complement acquired at about 16-17 mm SL (Ref. 4739). Feeds on crustaceans and small fishes (Ref. 35388).

Baird RC. 1971. The Systematics, Distribution, and Zoogeography of the Marine Hatchetfishes (family Sternoptychidae). Bulletin of the Museum of Comparative Zooology 142(1):1–128.

View data on Catalog of Fishes here.

Atlantic southeast of Cape of Good Hope, South Africa.

Holotype: MNHN 0000-1889.

Baird RC. 1971. The Systematics, Distribution, and Zoogeography of the Marine Hatchetfishes (family Sternoptychidae). Bulletin of the Museum of Comparative Zooology 142(1):1–128.

Dorsal-fin rays 9; anal-fin rays 12; pectoral-fin rays 10–11; total gill rakers (rarely 15) 16–17; vertebrae 36–37(rarely 38). Large species, often exceeding 70 mm SL; body deep, depth at end of dorsal usually more than 1.5 times into SL; first preanal photophore with pointed dorsal margin: dorsal spine high, its height nearly one-half its length; post-temporal spines well developed; postabdominal spines nearly equal, anteriormost spine curves smoothly forward; lower preopercle spine long, curving forward, upper very short; jaws large; teeth recurved with two large canines in lower jaw and a somewhat smaller pair in the upper jaw; pigment diffuse over whole of trunk; no marked midline pigment spots; less marked concentration of pigment in caudal peduncle; dark pigment present on outermost caudal rays (this often lost in handling) .

New Zealand Exclusive Economic Zone, Swedish Exclusive Economic Zone

Eastern Atlantic: southern Iceland to Canary Islands and Cape of Good Hope, South Africa. South Pacific: between 30°S and 50°S.

Restricted to the northeast Atlantic between latitudes 35°N and 65°N and east of longitude 35°W; occurs in a broad swath and across the southern Pacific between 30˚ S and 50˚S from Chile to New Zealand; reported southwest of the Cape of Good Hope suggesting a bipolar distribution in the Atlantic; not reported from the North Pacific or southern Indian Ocean.

Eastern North Atlantic north of 30°N, South Pacific south of 30°S.

Maximum size: 85 mm NG

9.0 cm TL (male/unsexed; (Ref. 27000))

To at least 70 mm SL.

Lower opercular spine downward and curved forward. Upper opercular spine short, directed outward. Ventral line of abdominal keel usually with a concave notch in front of anterior postabdominal spine (Ref. 37473).

Differs from A. aculeatus by absence of subcaudal spines, less deep body, lower dorsal spine, higher vertebral count and postabdominal spine characteristics; differs from A. affinis by presence of enlarged canines, lighter pigment, no subcaudal spines, preopercle and post-temporal spine characteristics and first anal photophore; differs from A. sladeni hy presence of enlarged canines; no definite pigmented midline; deeper body, spine characteristics, anal photophores, and lower gill-raker count.

bathypelagic; oceanodromous (Ref. 51243); marine; depth range 100 - 800 m (Ref. 4739)

Known from seamounts and knolls

Depth range based on 117 specimens in 1 taxon.
Water temperature and chemistry ranges based on 98 samples.

Environmental ranges
  Depth range (m): 38 - 4900
  Temperature range (°C): 1.785 - 16.385
  Nitrate (umol/L): 5.668 - 44.278
  Salinity (PPS): 31.839 - 36.159
  Oxygen (ml/l): 0.689 - 6.416
  Phosphate (umol/l): 0.443 - 3.220
  Silicate (umol/l): 2.068 - 163.066

Graphical representation

Depth range (m): 38 - 4900

Temperature range (°C): 1.785 - 16.385

Nitrate (umol/L): 5.668 - 44.278

Salinity (PPS): 31.839 - 36.159

Oxygen (ml/l): 0.689 - 6.416

Phosphate (umol/l): 0.443 - 3.220

Silicate (umol/l): 2.068 - 163.066
 
Note: this information has not been validated. Check this *note*. Your feedback is most welcome.

Depth: 100 - 800m.
From 100 to 800 meters.

Habitat: bathypelagic.

Oceanodromous. Migrating within oceans typically between spawning and different feeding areas, as tunas do. Migrations should be cyclical and predictable and cover more than 100 km.

Oceanic, mesopelagic with adults and juveniles at 200-800 m by day and 100 (sometimes shallower)-600 m by night, pre-metamorphic larvae at 100-300 m. Feeds on crustaceans and small fishes.

Data variable by day with relatively low concentrations from 200 m to 750 m; by night depths are concentrated between 200 m and 450 m with most records from 180 m to 300 m.

Barcode of Life Data Systems (BOLDS) Stats
Public Records: 0
Specimens with Barcodes: 6
Species With Barcodes: 1

Not Evaluated